2004 Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept
Paying Tribute to the Past but Looking to the Future
Whoa! I could hardly believe my eyes when I first caught a glimpse of Fords new Shelby GR-1 concept that debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours dElegance last weekend.
The design is breathtaking. Not like the Pitbull meets Rottweiler Shelby Cobra concept (see archives) that rocked Detroit earlier this year, but more like the Mercury Messenger concept (also see archives) that quietly made its entrance at the 2003 Detroit show, amid a whack of Ford Motor, Chrysler Group and GM concepts.
Like the Messenger, the Shelby GR-1 is 60s sleek, pulling cues from cars like the Cheetah and even Chevys Stingray and Mako Shark Corvettes. Of course, being that Shelby has put his stamp on the project, the GR-1 is meant to conjure up memories of the once dominant Cobra Daytona Coupe, especially noticeable at the rear where a prominent concave Kamm-tail makes a performance-at-all-costs visual statement.
It was designed by George Saridakis at Fords Irvine Advanced Design Studio, who initially penned a sketch that caught the imagination of the automakers head of design J. Mays.
“George produced this completely resolved sketch - the best Ive seen in 10 years,” stated Mays. “When I saw it, it wasnt a matter of Lets do more sketches. It was really more of a Lets get this into clay.”
Amazingly, the design team was able to build the GR-1 off of the original sketch, which showed three separate perspectives.
“George nailed it in one crack,” added Mays. “This is a designer so masterful at visualizing every aspect of the car and its story that it literally flowed out of his pen. And because the design is so pure, we really believe this show car will be a hit.”
Fords press release talks about vertical taillights which sound wonderful, but no matter how long I searched I couldnt find a rear end shot of this car. Ford might want to consider posting one on their press site, as its a pretty significant aspect of the design.
The rest of the coupes lines are reminiscent of the extremely rare Le Mans winner as well, but the Daytona Coupe inspiration is not anywhere near as retrospective as Fords new GT. Compared to a car that looks for the most part like a GT40 replicar, the GR-1 boasts thoroughly modern design language. Classic cues, yes, but current angular shapes and hard cut edges give the coupe a bold, chiseled look. I particularly like the trapezoidal headlight clusters, featuring HISS (high intensity solid state) and LED technology by the way. The side glass is nice too, reminding me a bit of the mid-60s Toyota 2000GT coupe and early 70s Datsun 240Z. The doors are butterfly-hinged, according to Ford, but once again there are no photos showing them open.
The fact that no photos appear showing inside the cars cabin makes me wonder if it is currently little more than a styling buck with an engine. Id be curious to hear from any readers who were at the launch to see if they had a close look inside to see if it had a finished interior. Even if the GR-1 is pure eye candy though, Ford attests that it has been developed on a fully-operational Cobra concept chassis, the second one of two that were developed for demonstrating the capabilities of the Cobra prior to body panels being fitted. The automaker says that the Fords Advanced Product Creation Group began working on the GR-1 even before the Ford Shelby Cobra concept was unveiled in Detroit last January.
“The Ford Shelby Cobra concept was a small step in our plans for the Ford GT supercar architecture and our relationship with Carroll Shelby,” says J Mays, Ford Motor Company group vice president of Global Design. “And the Ford Shelby GR-1 is a giant leap toward the future.”
Yes, if you didnt already know, Shelby is back with Ford again, finally setting things right after sojourns with Chrysler and others. The octogenarian racer seems to have some spark left in his wick, and Ford is going to exploit the relationship as far as corporately possible. This is no bad thing, however, as Shelby is a willing participant and will no doubt profit measurably. And car enthusiasts around the world will once again be able to enjoy the fruits of the old mans labors, or at least the cars Ford markets under the Shelby brand.
Ive driven a few of these over the years, starting with a light and quick 289 Cobra, followed by a muscular 427-powered version, and more recently a Shelby Mustang GT500 KR. All were crude, all were fast, and all lived up to the legendary performance Shelby cars have become famous for.
No doubt the latest Ford to feature Carrolls sir name is quick too. After all, it features the same 6.4-liter V10 that also powers the GT. Making 605 horsepower and 501 lb-ft of torque, even the GR-1s hefty estimated 3,900 pound curb weight couldnt hold it back. The new concept features a conventional 6-speed manual transaxle with limited slip (LSD), and a final drive ratio of 3.36:1. The large displacement engine reaches maximum revs at 7,500 rpm, but after 6,750 its merely music with no additional benefit to forward thrust. Maximum torque arrives at 5,550 rpm, not particularly low compared to the 8.3-liter Viper V10, but nevertheless theres plenty that comes on early enough in the rev range to light up the rear wheels and then some.
The suspension is fully independent, of course, glued to the road via gorgeous 19-inch 12-spoke alloy wheels shod in 275/40/R19 front 345/35/R19 rear performance tires.
Now that the limited production GT appears to be a sales hit, only 1500 units will be made, it only makes sense that Ford will follow it up with more limited production supercars. Not only do such showstoppers shed a positive light on the blue oval brand as a whole, but cars like the GT take sales away from arch rival Volkswagen, and its top-tier supercar brand Lamborghini as well as Dodges Viper SRT-10. Many wealthy North Americans are looking for a reason to buy domestic products, and with the GT and hopefully the GR-1, there are fewer reasons to look to exotic imports. And even more than the GT, the GR-1 points Ford into the future, pulling design cues from its Le Mans glory days and applying them to something truly new.
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Fords new Shelby GR-1 concept, unveiled last weekend, is simply breathtaking to look at. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)
Designed by George Saridakis at Fords Irvine Advanced Design Studio, the GR-1 is meant to conjure up memories of the once dominant Cobra Daytona Coupe. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)
"George produced this completely resolved sketch - the best Ive seen in 10 years," commented J. Mays, head of Ford design. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)
The GR-1 boasts a thoroughly modern design language with subtle classic cues thrown into the mix. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)
No photos of the interior make me wonder if the GR-1 is currently little more than a styling buck with an engine. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)
With Shelby back at Ford, car enthusiasts around the world will once again be able to enjoy the fruits of the old mans labors. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)
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